Sole traders and landlords earning more than £30,000 urged to act now

There are just six months to go until sole traders and landlords with a turnover of more than £30,000 will be required to use Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging those customers to sign up on GOV.UK and start preparing now. They should check whether they meet the threshold, as turnover includes gross income from self-employment and property before any tax allowances or expenses are deducted.

Signing up early means customers can make sure their MTD details are correct from the start and have time to choose the software that works best for them. Agents can also sign up their clients via GOV.UK.

From 6 April 2027, around 1,077,000 more sole traders and landlords will need to create digital records and use compatible software to send HMRC quarterly updates of their income and expenses and to complete their tax return, in addition to those already using the service.

The quarterly updates are not additional tax returns, but short summaries.

By creating digital records throughout the year, sole traders and landlords can save hours previously spent gathering information at tax return time, helping them spend more time focusing on their business and avoiding the last-minute rush every January.

Craig Ogilvie, HMRC’s Director of Making Tax Digital, said:

Hundreds of thousands of sole traders and landlords are already successfully using Making Tax Digital and now it’s time for the next group to get ready.

Signing up now means you can prepare and familiarise yourself with the process before it becomes mandatory next April.